Automatic flash-lamp.



H. E. MEYERS AUTOMATIC FLASH LAMP. APPLICATION FILED APR. 30. 1906.

Patented Aug 24, 1909.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY E. -IEYERS, 03? DENVER, GQLORADO, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-FOURTH T0 GUSTAV SOHRAG-E AND ONE-FOURTH T0 W.'E. TALLMIADGE, 0F SHEBOYGAN, WISCONSIN.

aurom'rro FLAsn-LAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 24, 1909.

Application filed April 30, 1906. Serial No. 314,352.

lamps and has for its object to produce an incandescent lamp of this character provided with thermoelectric Switch whereby cer-i,

tain electrical connections are automatically made and broken through the lamp to cause the same toemit light at regular intervals. 7

with a metallic washer 14. Thepreferred type of'thermostat foruse with thefilamp, whether of the double-filament typedescribed or of the single filament'type, cofists of-a v hermetically sealed case composed of an inverte'gl cup-shaped body 15- and .a spring plate 16, connected to the cup with a liquidtight joint, the cup portion bein equipped with a stem 17.] preference, will contain a liquidfisuc ammoniawhich will expand q iiclr ly dei'.

A-further object is to produce a thermoelectric switch for bi-filament lamps, whereby the circuit shall be completed alternately through said filaments so as to'fiash' light alternately therefrom.

'A stillfurther object is toproduce a com -bined incandescent lamp and switch of the character named which will .operate efii ciently and reliably and can be manufactured cheaply.

With these objects in view the invention consists in certain novel and peculiar features of construction and organization as hereinafter described and claimed; and in order that it may be fully understood reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a central vertical longitudinal section of a combined incandescent lamp and thermoelectric switch of my preferred construction, said figure showing a larger lamp than that generally used. Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line II-II of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 isa section similar to Fi l, but with theswitch completing a difierent circuit. Fig. I

4;, is a section on the dotted line 'IVIV of Fi 1.

in the said drawings, 1 indicates a globe having a central chamber 2, and a chamber 8 surrounding the central chamber, the

chambers communicating at one end near the base of the globe so that the air can be exhausted from both at the same time, it being understood, however, that the particular type of globe is immaterial.

4 indicates the mount sealed in the base end of the globe and rovided with stems 5 and 6, the filament 7 or chamber 2, projecting from stem 5 and the filament 8 for chamber 3 being supported by stems 6. One end of the filament 8 is electrically connected to one endof filament 7, and from said connec- 'tion a conductor 9 leads to the threaded base 10 of the lamp, the usual .cement'll being interposed between the threaded base and the corresponding end of the globe. to secure said parts reliably together.

To accommodate the thermo electricswitch hereinafter described, the base preferably projects beyond the corresponding end of the globe a greater distance than is r usually the case'so as to provide a comparatively'r'o'omy chamber 12, and secured to the end of the base is the usual insulating button or its equivalent 13 preferably equipped preferably T1 tb I soon as the temperature falls slightly. The v I stem 17 is utilized by preference'as a means;

for supporting the case in chamber 12,. by

. projecting it up'through the insulating but- 5 ton 13and'washer 14 and soldering or otherwise securing its upper end to washer 14;;- as at 18, the solder or its equivalent 18, forming the central contact found at the base of an ordinary incandescent' lamp.

I able insulating material secured at 20 in any suitable manner to the rim of the cup portion of the case at diametrically opposite points and provided with a central hole 21, one end i of said insulating'stfip being provided with a contact 22, electrically connected with one end of resistance coil 23, surrounding. the

cup portion of" the case, the opposite end of the coil beingconnected tostein 17. The coil is insulated from the cup by insulation 24;

"and -isheld properly. upon the thermostat.

by an insulating plate 25 through which the stem. 17 projects.

26 indicates a mica or equivalent plate sethe spring tendency of said plate normally in engagement withcontact 22. and. said cured to one end of plate 19 and provided at its opposite end with a contact, 27, held by' 23 to contact 22, and then passes through contact 27 and the filament 8 to the lamp base 10 and then back through the socket in the usual manner. As a result of this, filament 8 is caused to glow and emit light until the heat generated in the resistance coil expands the liquid or other expansive contents of the case and causes the spring plate 16 thereof to spring from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 3, and consequently push said pin toward'the globe and break the engagement between contacts 22 and 27. This action breaks the circuit through filament 8 and the resistance coil so that the current passes from stem 17 throu h the case to pin 28 and thence through ament 7 to the threaded base 10, so that light shall be emitted from said filament 7 instead offrom filament 8.

After a predetermined period 'has elapsed the temperature of the case and its contents drops, and, as a result, the s ring plate 16, springs back to its origina position and breaks the circuit through filament 7 and reestablishes .it through filament 8, it being understood of course that the plate 26 will have sufiicient resiliencyto insure the reenagement of contact 27 with contact 22 and t 11s restore the current to its original path.

Where one section of the lobe is of clear glass and the other of colore glass, the lamp 7 will alternately flash the clear light common to incandescent lam s and the color corre s ondingto that o the colored glass and t is alternate flashing of the light will continue as long as the current is turned on. It will be apparent that an ordinary single filament lam can be flashed at the desired intervals t rough the medium of the thermal switch described, though in such event the pin 28 need not be a conductor.

I From the above descri tion it will be apparent that I have pr need an automatlc ash lamp possessing the features of advanta e enumerated as desirable and I wish it to understood that I do not desire to be restricted to the exact construction shown and described, as various changes in the form, proportion, detail construction and arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from the principle of con struction involved:

Having thus described the invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is

1. Thecombination of an incandescent lamp having a threaded base and a contact insulated therefrom, a thermostat having a spring-plate portion to spring outward as the thermostat becomes heated and inward as it cools respectively, an insulating strip secured to the thermostat adjacent to the spring-plate portion. thereof and provided with a contact, a resistance coil within the threaded base and surrounding and insulated from the thermostat and electrically connected at its opposite ends to the contact of the strip and-the said contact insulated from the threaded base, a resilient insulating plate attached at one end to the insulating stripaimided with a contact normally engaging the contact of said strip, and a contact-pin projecting through said strip and into the path of outward movement of said spring-plate portion, and a filament connected to the threaded base at one end and to the contactof the resilient insulating plate.

2. The combination of an incandescent lamp having a threaded base and a contact insulated therefrom, a thermostat having a spring-plate portion to springoutward as the thermostat becomes heated and inward as it cools respectively, an insulating stri) secured to the thermostat and provided with a contact, a resistance coil within the threaded base and surrounding and insulated from the thermostat and electrically connected at its opposite ends to the contact of the strip and the contact insulated from the threaded base, a resilient insulating plate attached at one .end to the insulating strip and provided with a contact pin to be engaged by the spring plate when the latter is moved by the heating of the thermostat, and with a contact normally enga ing the contact of said strip, and a pair 0 filaments connected together and to the threaded base at one end and having their opposite ends respectively connected to said contact pin and the contact of the resilient insulating plate. In testimony whereof I afiix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

HENRY E. MEYERS.

Witnesses:

H. S. WALDO, ARTHUR W. BARNES. 

